Anyone who trains at home saves time and money because, in addition to the travel to and from the gym, there are also no monthly fees. Of course, a small initial investment is necessary, but there are always good deals on training tools. We will show you what equipment you need and where you can get it cheaply.
Studies show that home workouts can be just as effective as gym workouts. In the end, it just comes down to how hard you train.
Pure bodyweight training with your own body weight may be sufficient for beginners, but fitness fans with a little more experience should use additional weights to increase the intensity. With the right tools, it works wonderfully.
Home gym tool 1: barbell or dumbbell
If you have both types of dumbbells at home, you can do a variety of exercises for the whole body. An advantage of dumbbells is the flexible range of motion, which is often not available on many gym machines or with barbells. Barbells, on the other hand, are perfect for training the muscles with really heavy weights.
A tip for bargain hunters are sets with adjustable dumbbells, which can be converted from one barbell to two dumbbells in just a few simple steps.
Our tip: See the ProIron Adjustable Dumbbell Set on Amazon*
Home gym tool 2: pull-up bar
Pull-ups primarily train the back and biceps, which is probably why the exercise is considered very manly. Pull-up training is also suitable for women.
While it’s true that women tend to have a harder time, training is worth it, and not just in the gym. With a pull-up bar for at home, intensive back training with rapid progress is also possible at home.
Our tip: View AthleticPro Doorway Pull Up Bar on Amazon*
Home gym tool 3: fitness bands
The essentials for home workouts don’t have to be expensive, big or heavy. On the contrary: Highly elastic sports bands are true all-rounders, because they take up practically no storage space and are ideal for warming up or for strength endurance exercises.
Our tip: See Pakama Door Anchor and Bar Fitness Bands Set on Amazon*
Home gym tool 4: weight vest
Push-ups or squats are also possible without additional weight, but the exercises become even more intensive if you wear a weight vest. Just put it on like a jacket and get going.
There are weight vest variants that weigh 5, 10 or 15 kilograms. The heavier the vest, the more strenuous the exercise, which of course also increases the effectiveness of the exercise. A 10 kg vest is ideal for getting started.
Our tip: See Suprfit weight vest on Amazon*
Home gym tool 5: weight bench
Some chest or back exercises are much easier to do on an exercise bench. So investing in a stable model definitely makes sense.
But please don’t save at the wrong end: Extremely cheap weight bench variants are often not of particularly high quality and are more wobbly. This is easy on the wallet, but brings with it an increased risk of injury. So: Better to spend a few euros more and train safely.
If you don’t have a lot of space at home, you’re better off with an adjustable and foldable weight bench that can be stored under the bed or in a corner of the apartment after the workout.
Our tip: See Sportstech Adjustable Weight Bench on Amazon*
This is how it works with the effective workout in the apartment
- Set yourself a fixed training date, which you enter in your calendar – and then you can start. Experts recommend three to four sports units per week (30 to 45 minutes each).
- Make space: For fitness exercises you need at least 2 x 1.5 meters space – of course this varies from workout to workout. If your living room doesn’t have this space, a unit in the hallway or basement is also worth considering.
- Less is more: Those who start working out at home often tend to exaggerate the number of sports equipment. You don’t have to spend that much money to get in shape or stay in shape. There is a wide range of equipment that can be used for a variety of exercises.
Exercise caution: It is particularly important to perform the exercise correctly when training with weights, otherwise there is a risk of injury.
Look up instructions in fitness books or from specific ones fitness cards* to avoid injury.
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